Samurai: Legend of a Daimyo
by Duke9295
Summary: An AU based largely off the Sengoku Era, watch as the son of a disgraced clan rises to be the man who ends a never-ending war. Disclaimer: I don't own anything, Naruto belongs to Kishimoto and any reference is no claim to ownership. This is written as harmless entertainment.
1. Chapter 1

**The Elemental Nations of Zipangu - 12 years after the formation of the Uzumaki Shogunate, hours before the end of the endless war.**

The castle was old, with the ruin of flame taking away from this once beautiful land, with walls that looked like it was made at the last minute.

It's night out, with the entire castle surrounded by camps of soldiers, save for a lone river, which had a fleet of sail ships patrolling. Everyone that was present were staring at each side, awaiting the moment it all ends.

Atop a hill, two men are overlooking the castle on horses. The younger man has piercing blue eyes and a mane of blonde hair kept out of his hair by a black headband, dressed in black armor with a pink accent. Beside him is an older man with grey starting form in his short blonde hair and wrinkles under his blue eyes. This man is wearing orange armor with a black accent, and both men have spears on their backs and a helmet with a kitsune on the top. The younger man asks, "Father, after tonight, will it all be over?"

The father nods, "If we win, it will be. But we cannot guarantee it will be tonight. He is still alive."

The moment he said that, he felt like the man he was talking about was staring at him on the balcony of the castle.

**40 Years Ago…**

Castle Red Lantern, of the Uchiha Clan, one of the most prominent clans within all of the Zipangu. The head of the clan, a man with dusty brown has and deep frown lines, looks down at the message he had just gotten. He groaned in exhaustion, "The Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara are pooling their resources together. The Three Lords are preparing to march on through our lands to the capital of Konoha."

A cousin of the lord, who has a series of scars on the right side of his face, with his right eye kept shut having lost it, asked, "Fugaku-Sama, what should we do?"

Fugaku Uchiha explains, "We will never align with the Hyuuga or the Senju, and I'll be damned if we use the Akatsuki, so we will ride to the lands of the Uzumaki."

His wife, a ebony haired beauty who has aged more gracefully than her husband, giggles, "I cannot agree more, Fugaku-Sama, it will be nice to see Kushina again."

A boy with his ash black hair kept in a ponytail, with deep tear ducts, raises his hand, "But mother, I thought that Kushina was exiled years ago when she had a...Oh, what's the word."

Fugaku's eyes widen, "That is a word you do not need to learn to say for another few years, Itachi. You're free to run along now, your little brother must be getting impatient."

The 14 year old Itachi stands and bows to his father and mother, departing. Fugaku notes, "Itachi is right, since Kushina had a bastard son, the family was exiled by that worm squandering all the family has gained in a hundred years. If we're to ally with the Uzumaki and all the allies they have made, we must restore them to glory. Once that happens, none will march through our lands ever again."

His wife reminds him, "We must make haste, Fugaku-Sama, for if the Hyuuga follow the example of the Three Lords before the restoration is complete, this effort will be for naught."

Fugaku smiles to his wife, "Thank you, Mikoto, I'll do everything I can to give your friend a home again."

**Days Later, Kurama Temple, outside the Former Uzumaki Province**

Fugaku and the one eyed cousin ride up to the monastery on grey horses, with the Uchiha Banner of a red fan with a white handle held high by several retainers. At the stairs, they see a man with a grey beard and glasses, drinking sake out of a gourd, he stops drinking to hiccup, "Well well, if it isn't the high and mighty Uchiha. To what do we owe the honor?"

Fugaku tells him, "We're looking for Kushina Uzumaki."

The man points to the top of the stairs, "Up there, your highness."

Fugaku motions up the stairs, "Obito."

The two dismount and walk up the steps themselves. There, they see a ramen stand with a portly chef working up some cooking magic. At the front door are two men, one a black garbed shinobi with his face covered by a mask, save for his right eye, with a patch of spiked silver hair, and the other a samurai in dark blue armor with tanned skin, brown hair kept in a ponytail, and a scar across his nose. The samurai demands, "I am Iruka Umino, samurai of the Uzumaki Clan, identify yourself."

Fugaku speaks up, "Fugaku and Obito, of the Uchiha Clan. We wish to speak to Lady Kushina."

The two move out of the doorway, and Iruka warns, "If you try anything, Lady Kushina has a powerful guard to protect her."

The enter to find a group of monks praying to a thousand candles, while a woman is drinking tea in a corner with two people sitting beside her.

The woman drinking tea is recognizable, with flowing red hair that goes long across the floor, with a sculpted face and lilac eyes. She's dressed in a common kimono with a green haori that looks slightly dirty.

Beside her are a man and woman with similar red hair. The man has bangs blocking his eyes, wearing a maroon cloak with what looks like a peg leg for his right foot. The girl has her hair down to her back, with glasses, and a lilac dress.

The woman stops drinking and smiles to the newcomers, "Ah, Fugaku, welcome to my new abode. And is that little Obito? My has he grown."

Obito stops looking serious and flusters, awkwardly waving his hand, "Hello, Lady Kushina."

Fugaku looks at his cousin, "Boy, you are 25 years old, stop acting like she's your mother."

Kushina asks, "And how's Mikoto, I hear you have another son? Any chance you're trying for a daughter?"

Fugaku cringes, blushes, and gulps all at once, and starts blubbering. Kushina laughs, "Oh the perks of not giving a shit."

The girl next to her gasps, "Aunt Kushina!"

Kushina waves, "Oh don't worry, Karin, it's not like I said anything too offensive," she looks over to Fugaku, "so to what do I owe the honor after eight years?"

Fugaku explains, "Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi have entered an alliance. If they join the Hyuuga or the Sarutobi they will march onto the capital and through my lands."

Kushina groans, "So you want to ally with the Uzumaki and their allies to protect yourself."

Fugaku nods, "That is correct."

Kushina tells him, "Alright, you can end those two fools coup on one condition: My son is to be lord of the Uzumaki like his grandfather before him."

Fugaku inhales lightly, but promises, "I will get rid of those two, but I do not know if I can easily make your son the Daimyo of the land. As a…"

Kushina tells him, "I'm not offended if you call my son a bastard. As much as I hate it, that's what he is."

Fugaku continues, "As a bastard, he has a lot to prove, especially to me if we're to be allies."

Kushina offers, "If you must, take him into the family, raise him alongside your youngest. If you need someone to lead the clan until he's of age, I'm sure Nagato here can fill in."

The red haired man looks over to her in shock, "Lady Kushina?"

Kushina assures, "Don't worry, I have faith in you, my dear. Now, let's go get my son."

She raises herself up and walks past the Uchiha, and at the door she turns back to everyone, and motions forward, "Well, don't just stand there."

Everyone follows behind her until she gets to a river, where a boy in a conical hat is fishing. Kushina calls out, "Oy! Naruto!"

The boy looks over and walks up to her, "Hey, mom. What's going on?"

She motions to Fugaku and Obito, "This is Fugaku Uchiha and his retainer Obito, they've offered to help us take back our home."

Naruto starts jumping in the air, "Woohoo!"

**Later that day, outside the Uzumaki Castle, currently called Cat's Jewel**

Fugaku and Obito are met with their battalion of soldiers with Kushina, Nagato, the ninja, and Iruka. Inside their palanquin, Fugaku orders, "Alright, we take back the castle tonight. Kushina, tell me how you lost the castle, tell me it's strengths and weaknesses. Anything you can tell me will be helpful."

Kushina tells him, "The two usurpers are Mizuki and Gato. Mizuki is a ronin that my father took him in a year before Naruto was born. And before you ask, Naruto's father is not apart of the Uzumaki Retainers, especially Mizuki. Gato's a merchant that was brought in to give us the advantage of the sea. When Naruto was born, I lost my inheritance with my father since I ended any hope of being married. Nagato was the last male heir, but he also lost credibility when he lost his leg. So when my father died two years ago, they blackmailed, bribed, or even reminded them their contempt for Naruto to get the retainers in the castle to help in his coup. During my father's funeral I lost everything. Now the river north gives them an advantage of defense as well as a way to escape easily. However, the forest gives us an advantage of sneaking in. I've kept in touch with some friends throughout Zipangu, and all of our allies have refused to support them in any form. Those two have squandered hard earned gold on failing to get in their good graces."

Fugaku chuckles, "Alright, with the clouds coming in it should rain, and when it does, we climb over the wall and make sure those two fall."

In an hour the rain does come in, and it comes in hard. Fugaku give out command, "All right, Obito and Iruka will lead a team from the east. I will come in from the west, and the shinobi will lead a team to sneak in from the river in the north. Nagato will lead the horse cavalry when the gates are down. Kushina, you will ride ahead as a distraction of their forces. When the fighting starts, you will use the knives hidden under your robes to fight. But do not try to be a hero, stay alive."

The shinobi raises his hand, "For the record, my name is Kakashi Hatake."

Fugaku nods, "Noted. Now, everyone prepare for battle."

As the rain pours, Kushina rides up on a horse to a downtrodden guard. He looks up and gasps, "Lady Kushina, by the gods you've returned!"

She tells him, "Tell Gato I've come to speak with him."

The guard leaves, unaware that at the other side of the castle, Kakashi and a team of five shinobi are swimming up to the castle using reeds to breathe easily. On the sides, Obito and Fugaku each see Kushina has entered through telescopes. Both turn to their men, "We must wait until Kushina enters the castle."

Obito says more by asking Iruka, "How long does it take to go from the courtyard to wherever Gato would be?"

Iruka notes, "He'd be in the main hall, so around ten minutes."

Obito nods, "Let's wait till then, but if our gate is opened early by Kakashi, we charge."

Meanwhile, Kakashi and his men have successfully swam into the port. Kakashi notes only two guards, who are huddled together outside the rain. Kakashi slaps the water to make a big splash, making one of them stop talking, "What was that?"

"What is it," The other asks as he's leaving, "what's going on?"

He looks in the water, and shrugs, "Dunno, must be a toad or something."

Before he can stop looking down in the water, Kakashi jams a kunai knife into his throat, and his body falls into the water. The guard goes over and questions, "Hey, have you been stealing Gato's drugs again? You know he only gives those to his whores."

He looks and sees his friend floating in the water, and suddenly, one of the reed stocks have a dart shot out and into his throat. He starts choking before he falls backwards. The six leap out of the water, and Kakashi orders one of them, "Stay here, destroy the boats, make sure Gato and Mizuki never leave this castle."

The shinobi nods, "Hai, Kakashi-Sensei."

The other five pull out the weapons they have: Kusarigama, a sickle with an iron ball attached to a chain. Kakashi states to the other four, "We will split off in teams of three. Team 1 will open the east gate, Team 2 will open the west gate, and I'll head to the center to ensure Lady Kushina's safety. When your objectives are complete, make your way to the south gate and open it. Understood?"

The four nod, "Hai, Kakashi-Sensei."

As the five run off in different directions, Kushina has made her way to the main hall, where she finds the two detestable men who took everything sitting around with two painted whores on each arm. The short fat man with a mane of pale brown, pushes the girls away and stands up straight, "Lady Kushina-"

"Save it, Gato."

The tall man with white hair kept in a bandana with a sneering nose, chuckles, "To what do we owe the pleasure, Lady Kushina?"

Kushina lies, "I've come to negotiate me regaining my castle."

Gato and Mizuki laugh to each other, with Gato enquiring, "And how's that bastard you lost all this for?"

Kushina lies again, "He's decided to travel outside of Zipangu, see what's in the world. Joined a crew of pirates and everything."

Mizuki glared at her, trying to spot the bluff, "So he won't be returning for his 'birthright?'"

Kushina responds, "No, he's made it clear to me that he never wishes to be here ever again."

Gato tells her, "Alright, you can have the castle back, if you marry me, make my claim to this land legitimate."

Before Kushina can answer, a man enters, dressed in commoner clothes, with a somewhat handsome face save for a scar near his right eye, with a crop of silver hair spiked up. He's holding a gourd in his hand, "Hey...Where's the outhouse when you need one?"

Mizuki snorts, "Drunken fool, someone get him out of here! Remove a pinky when you do!"

Kushina clicks her tongue, "Such a severe punishment for not holding his liquor? I think I'll take my business elsewhere. Maybe I'll speak with the Hyuuga to have you removed. Come my poor boy, I'll give you a more deserving home."

He leans over to her, "Thanks purtty lady."

Kushina leaves the two men speechless while she takes the disguised Kakashi out of the room. She whispers, "Thanks, Kakashi. Nice acting by the way."

Kakashi chuckles, "No problem. We have shinobi destroying the boats and opening the east and west gates."

They leave the sight of some of the men, and Kakashi continues, "My duty now is ensuring your safety before we open the south gate."

Kushina stops and removes the floorboards in front of her and sneaks into it, reminding Kakashi, "My families lived here longer than Gato can ever hope to know where this goes. Now go open that gate."

Kakashi leaves her there, and heads to the south gate. Meanwhile, the East and West gates are successfully opened. Obito and Fugaku call out, "Charge!"

Hundreds of soldiers with the Uchiha banner start running into the gate from the trees they were hiding in. The guards were killed by the four Shinobi and easily swarmed into the building, killing anyone who drew a weapon on them. A horn is blown, fires are lit, and the civilians flee, screaming, "We're under attack! We're under attack!"

As the fighting is going on, Kakashi meets up with his four shinobi, and order, "Let's get this gate open, Nagato-Sama must enter!"

Very quickly the guards leave to help in the fighting save for one lone guard. As they leave, the five sneak up behind him. One of the shinobi smacks his helmet off with the iron ball while Kakashi stabs the sickle into his throat. As the man chokes on his blood, the remaining shinobi open the gates. A scout of the cavalry looks into his telescope, "Nagato-Sama, Kakashi-Sama has opened the gate."

Nagato look to his men, "You heard him. Charge!"

As all chaos breaks out, the main castle is surprisingly undisturbed. Gato and Mizuki continue to idly sit around, surrounded by strung out whores, until a bloodied man storms in. He blurts out, "M'lords...Uchiha forces...Have attacked."

Gato pops a vein in his forehead, "What!?"

The man suddenly falls as there's a huge gash in his back. They look to see a man with a cross-spear, making Mizuki gasp, "I know that spear...Iruka!?"

Iruka nods, "Glad to see me, traitor?"

Mizuki stands, brandishing a katana, "Gato, get to the boats. I'll kill this fool."

Gato doesn't hesitate to flee, pushing a girl out of his way as he fled out the back door. When he leaves, Iruka chuckles, "We already have had all the boats burnt to the ground, he's not going anywhere."

Mizuki charges at him, "Do you have any idea what you've done!? He owed a lot of people money that he spent trying to enter an alliance with one of the high class Daimyo!"

Iruka blocks every one of Mizuki's strikes, laughing, "So if you two don't die tonight, someone will kill you later? I can live with that."

As the two are fighting, Gato runs through the halls until he gets to the docks, where he sees the merchant fleet burning to the bottom of the river, and in the center of the docks are two Uchiha. Gato recognizes the older one, "Fugaku Uchiha-Sama. Um...What a...An honor it is to have you in my home. Whatever slight I've given to you, I swear I never meant to disrespect you."

Fugaku chuckles darkly, "It's not me you disrespected. It's her."

Gato turns around slowly, and sees Kushina standing before him with a dagger in her hand. Gato gulps, "Please don't kill me."

Kushina goes up to him and decks him in the face. When Gato wakes up, he finds himself tied up by the wrists and ankles. He looks over and sees Mizuki in a similar predicament. Fugaku demands, "Iruka tells me you two owe a lot of people money, is that correct?"

Gato nods, "Hai."

Kushina asks in curiosity, "Who do you owe the most?"

Gato answers, "Hidan of the Jashin Temples."

Kushina glares at him, "You squandered a hundred years of wealth on cultists!?"

Gato can't look in her eyes, so Fugaku decides, "In exchange for all the wealth you squandered, we'll trade what gold Hidan still has for the lives of both of you."

Mizuki finally snaps, "You can't send us there! They'll torture us!"

Fugaku shrugs, "Sorry, but the Uchiha have no need for torturers."

Obito and Iruka pick the two of them up and onto their feet and drag them out of the room. When the leave, Fugaku turns to Kushina, "Congratulations, Lady Kushina, welcome back to Castle Orange Maelstrom."

Kushina exhales, "Very good. Now I can retire and let Nagato run the land until Naruto's ready."

Fugaku warns, "You won't be seeing your son for eight years, can you live with that?"

Kushina's mood falls, but she admits, "I won't be happy with the thought, but if it means he'll be the Daimyo we need, then I can live with it."

Fugaku inquires, "So does that mean you will stand with the Uchiha?"

Kushina nods, "The Uzumaki will stand with the Uchiha."

**And so, the Endless War continues through the land of Zipangu with the Uzumaki-Uchiha alliance keeping the Hyuuga and Sarutobi from conquering the capital. Yet it was not meant to last...Join us in two years.**

Author's Note: So this is a minor project I've been thinking of and wanted to get on paper before I forget. Now for the record, if I'm lucky the next chapter won't come out in two years.


	2. Chapter 2

**It has been two years since the restoration of the Uzumaki clan, and in that time, the Uchiha has been able to push back the Sarutobi, Hyuuga and the Three Lords of Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi. But now the Hyuuga have entered into a new alliance with the Inuzuka and Aburame clans to crush the Uchiha and march to the capital. The battle will take place in the Ame Plains.**

**Castle Red Lantern, residence of the Uchiha Clan**

A now 10 year old Naruto is fishing in the garden, now with a retainer holding a parasol over his head. A voice calls out, "Oi, Naruto!"

Naruto turns to see the youngest son of the Uchiha, with his dark hair spiked up save for the bangs, making him look like he has a duck butt for hair. Naruto looks up, "What is it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke runs up to him, "Itachi and Shisui are riding off into their first battle together, wanna join me and mother as we send them off?"

Naruto nods, "Sure, let's go."

They both rush off to get to the main gate of Red Lantern Castle, where they saw Fugaku, Itachi, Obito, and Iruka about to ride off with a boy around Itachi's age with the same light black hair and eyes, but with a slightly larger nose. Itachi notices, "Ah, Shisui, look. It's Naruto and Sasuke."

The boy Shisui waves to them, "Hey guys."

Sasuke looks at him and begs, "Please make sure my brother and father come home, Shisui."

Shisui assures, "Not to worry, Sasuke. I'll watch their backs like they'll watch my own."

Fugaku looks over his family, "Itachi, Shisui, we must ride out now."

Itachi bows, "Yes father."

The five warriors mount their horses and ride off. As they leave, Naruto and Sasuke find Mikoto standing behind them, "Come, children we have a castle to tend to and lessons to learn."

As they leave, they see a woman with chin length brown hair with purple marks on her cheeks looking out at the cavalry riding out. Naruto asks, "Is everything alright, Miss Rin?"

The girl, Rin, nods, "Yes, Naruto. Nothing to worry about. And haven't I told you already? I'm married to Obito. So no miss nonsense."

**Ame Plains, Days later**

Fugaku looks out at the field and grimaces, "A fog is coming in. This is not good."

Itachi assures, "It's early in the morning father, we can use it to our advantage."

Fugaku nods, "Very well. I will lead the main charge through the Hyuuga camp with Shisui and Iruka. Obito will lead a flank on the left while Itachi will lead a flank on the right. We must strike hard and fast before the fog lifts and the enemy knows what is going on."

Obito questions, "How many soldiers do they have?"

Iruka notes, "Scout reports said that they were about the same as us, 15,000 soldiers."

Shisui notes, "So the flankers will get 2,500 soldiers each and we the main 10,000?"

Fugaku starts to leave, "Yes, now let us go to battle."

The five mount their steeds and ride off with their forces to where they must be.

**Ame Plains, The Other Side**

At the center of a line of soldiers were two men standing side by side. They were very similar since they were twins, but there were differences, such as one twin having a band around his forehead, while the other has sharper features that stress can cause. Behind them are a man and a woman. The man has slicked back spiky hair and is wearing tinted spectacles, while the woman has a feral look with her mane of hair and sharp eyes with red triangles on her cheeks. The more mature twin questions, "Is everyone aware of the plan?"

The woman growls, "Yes Hiashi, we are. Now can we get it over with?"

The sunglasses wearing man warns, "Patience is a virtue, Lady Tsume."

Tsume retorts, "Apathy breeds pestilence, Lord Shibi."

Hiashi's twin chuckles, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Hiashi clears his throat, "Hizashi."

A man with a bowl cut with green armor points out to the distance, "The enemy approaches! Come my lords, let us ride to battle with youth in our blood!"

Hiashi nods, "Very good, Guy, now let us fight for our clans."

The five mount horses and ride off. Behind them are thousands of soldiers as they march behind their lords. Hiashi calls, "Men! For too long the Uchiha have been a thorn in our sides! NO MORE! Today, we will crush our enemies and march on to the Capital!"

The armies cheer and follow behind their commanders.

**Ame Plains**

A scout bows before Fugaku and states, "My Lord! The enemy is marching towards the Ame Castle, they've already set up a defensive force around the Hyuuga camp."

Fugaku orders, "Shisui, Iruka, rally the men! We Charge!"

The armies of the Uchiha storm through the mist and smashing the Hyuuga vanguard. Uchiha horsemen were knocked off as the Hyuuga foot soldiers were trampled. Itachi rides ahead of his father, who calls out, "Stay behind your guards, Itachi. I am not losing a son in his first battle!"

Itachi nods his head, "Understood, father."

Itachi slows his horse behind his men as the forces split up. Obito split off next, shouting, "For the Uchiha!"

As Itachi and Obito's battalions fade away, Fugaku leads his men in a forward charge. As they smash through the Hyuuga vanguard, they make it to the entrance of the Hyuuga camp. Fugaku orders, "Iruka, lead the assault, me and Shisui will storm the camp."

Iruka salutes while Fugaku and Shisui dismount their horses. They rush inside as the other forces enter as well. Inside the Hyuuga camp, that's when they see it: There was not a single soldier in sight, only scarecrows wearing soldiers armors. Fugaku screams out, "It's a trap. Everyone out now!"

A rainstorm of fiery arrows parade through the false Hyuuga camp. As the camp is lit ablaze, several of the men get struck down by the arrows, their bodies burning corpses. Fugaku and his top generals barely escape from the burning trap with their lives. Hiashi orders to his troops, "Forward! Wipe out any Uchiha who escape!"

Fugaku stumbles out with a handful of samurai and his generals. He calls out, "Itachi, are you still alive!?"

Itachi stumbles next to him, "I am unharmed, father."

They immediately see the legion of Hyuuga cavalry charging right at them. Iruka starts to pale, "We're, we're not gonna make it."

Shisui assures, "Don't worry, if we die, we die with honor."

Fugaku tells him, "Nobodies dying today. I've got an ace in the hole."

Itachi chuckles, "So, who did you bring into the fold, father?"

**Ame Plains, Hyuuga Side**

The Hyuuga charge at the crippled Uchiha forces, screaming, "Death to the Uchiha!"

Hiashi chuckles slightly, "Yes, first the Uchiha, then the capital."

A scout rushes in, screaming, "Lord Hyuuga! There's a cavalry riding into the battle with Uzumaki banners!"

Tsume snaps, "What!? Whose leading them?"

The scout stutters, "From what we can tell, Nagato Uzumaki. He has a false leg and wielding a lance."

Shibi groans under his breath, "Our trap was countered with a trap."

Hizashi questions, "How many soldiers does Nagato have?"

The scout tells them, "3,000, that plus the unaccounted losses of Fugaku's men could mean they have an advantage over us."

Hiashi orders, "Have the men split up, half fighting Nagato's forces, the other half leave no Uchiha survivors."

Guy steps forward, "I will lead the attack on youthful Nagato's attack. With the springtime of youth on my side, I will overcome any obstacle."

Guy raises his warfan high in the air, and shouts, "Men! To fight with the power of Youth!"

Tsume asks, "Um...Is he alright?"

Hizashi assures, "You get used to him...Still taking me and brother a while."

Hiashi huffs, "End the conversation. We fight!"

Off in another direction, Hiashi and his army rode.

**Nagato's Forces**

Nagato is leading the charge with his army. Nagato shouts, "Relieve the Uchiha! We must ensure Lord Fugaku's retreat!"

Several of his men raise their spears in the air showing they understand his orders. One of his men shout, "A band of Hyuuga warriors are charging to face us, Lord Nagato!"

Nagato orders, "Fight at full speed! We cannot and will not be slowed down!"

A squad of cavalry men ride in front of Nagato to protect him as they charge into the rival cavalry. Suddenly, someone on the opposing side jumps off his horse and dives at Nagato to deliver a kick. He sends Nagato off his horse, but he lands on his feet. Nagato looks up and sees a man in light armor tinted green, with a bowl cut, and a smirk that sparkles in the sunlight. Nagato chuckles, "Not bad, pretty gutsy to come at me without a weapon. Who are you?"

The man introduces himself, "Might Guy, loyal retainer of the Hyuuga Clan. Mentor of Lord Hizashi's son Neji. And from the wooden leg and striking red hair I take it you are Lord Nagato of the Uzumaki?"

Nagato nods, "I am, though I am a bit embarassed that I'm only known for a dumb leg that got mangled by a horse."

Guy promises, "Then let you be known for fighting the green beast of youth!"

Guy charges at him, and Nagato drops his spear, grabbing onto a shield on his back. Guy lands a kick on the shield, pushing Nagato back. Guy grabs onto the shield, and prepares a spin kick, but Nagato removes the shield. Guy is knocked off and the two charge at each other. Guy lands a kick that sends Nagato to his back. Several of his spearmen surround Guy, but Nagato raises his hand, catching his breath, "Wait! ...Wait. Might Guy. If you let me live and let me save the Uchiha for a retreat, I will face you again in a more fair duel. Will you let me and my men save our people?"

Guy stands back, "Very well, I can admire a man's resolve to preserve the age of youth. I will allow your men through, but know that the other forces may not allow you."

Nagato bows, "Thank you."

He mounts his horse and charges through. They charge through the hundreds of Hyuuga footsoldiers, mowing them down. Eventually, they find Fugaku and two dozen of his men surrounded by barricades fighting off Hyuuga cavalry with bows and arrows. Nagato calls out, "Lord Fugaku!"

Fugaku looks over, "Nagato! Perfect timing!"

Nagato orders his men, "Flank the Hyuuga! Distract them while we flee!"

The men go charging, and Fugaku orders, "Men! Lord Nagato has given us an opportunity! Let us return home!"

The men mount steeds and proceed to flee. Arrows firing off in the distance.

**Castle Red Lantern**

That night the men were despondent. Fugaku stands before his men in a somber banquet and tells them, "Men of the Uchiha, though we lost this battle against the Hyuuga, do not despair. We live to fight another day, and live to return to our families. Honor was not lost for we fought bravely to the end."

Everyone raises a bowl of sake and takes a quick gulp. Naruto and Sasuke step forward to Fugaku and break down into humble bows. Sasuke speaks up, "Father, if I were older I would've fought alongside you."

Naruto adds, "I would've helped too, believe it."

Fugaku tells them, "Children, your contribution would not have changed anything. Hizashi's trap would not have been spotted so easily. Do not cloud your judgment with guilt. You are but children, do not feel regret for having an innocence most of us have lost."

The two nod, and return to sit with Mikoto. Mikoto whispers, "You know, Naruto, I hear Nagato brought your mother with him to visit you."

Naruto starts to smile brightly as he makes a giggling noise. As the men work to figure out how to recover from this loss, Mikoto leads Naruto and Sasuke away, "Come, let's greet Lady Kushina and your cousins."

They leave the hall to an entrance surrounded by guards. At the foot is Nagato with a more simple peg leg and cane. Beside him is Karin and Kushina, who rushes to Naruto and tackles him to the ground with a hug. Karin gasps, "Lady Kushina!?"

Naruto croaks out in his mother's arm, "Mom...You're embarrassing me…"

She releases him, "Sorry, sweetie."

Naruto asks, "So how've you been mom? Cousin Karin?"

Kushina smiles, "We're doing very well. Our province has never been more prosperous, with traders coming in and even our army is getting new Tepo and Arquebus rifles. I've got a whole list for you to study when you get the chance."

Karin adds, "I'm learning to fight with a spear so that I can serve our province loyally."

Naruto chuckles, "Neat. Hey, do you want to meet some of my new friends?"

Kushina nods, "Of course."

Naruto takes her by the hand and takes her along. They walk past some of Fugaku's samurai, who huffs when they leave, "Disgraceful. That Uzumaki bastard is nothing but a fool."

His fellow samurai silences him, "Quiet, you do not want to get on Uzumaki's bad side even if you have a point."

The man growls, "Bah, that weak clan couldn't produce a proper son, and they let the prospective heir bear a bastard. They allowed a worm like Gato to take over, and they needed our help, they didn't have a bite to worry about, just a growl."

His friend groans, "You are too cavaliere. When the time comes we may end up fighting the Uzumaki someday."

The man chuckles, "I'll welcome that day."

**Castle White Moon, domain of the Hyuuga**

Author's Note: So I tried to base this chapter on the Battle of Kawanakajima, the greatest battle between the Takeda and Uesugi which is considered the bloodiest battle in the entire Sengoku Period.

In all honesty, I don't think I lived up to its full potential. For that, I am sorry y'all.

But I admit that this feels kind of like the style of the amazing Nobunaga Concerto Anime. I'll try to do the next chapter in that style, or as best as I can.

When Naruto's old enough to fight and go to war, that's when the story will hopefully get better.

Now below, I'm going to try something different. I'm going to try and make this a sort of documentary style moment, where modern historians talk about the previous chapter to an audience.

Modern Day: Konohagakure, Interview room.

A man in a business suit with slicked back hair and a pair of glasses looks to the audience, "Hello everyone, thank you for joining me. I'm Motoyasu Sanada, and with me is my fellow speaker, an actual descendant of Naruto Uzumaki, Mr. Nobuyuki Uzumaki. Thank you for joining us, Mr. Uzumaki."

The blonde man with his hair slicked back with a chin strap beard nods to the speaker, "Thank you for having me, Mr. Sanada."

Motoyasu begins, "Now to begin where we left off previously, Naruto Uzumaki had the most humble of origins out of every Daimyo at the time. He was an illegitimate child of the Uzumaki clan and was exiled following a coup. But the powerful Uchiha clan uplifted his clan from the lower brink."

Nobuyuki nods, "True, but at that point they were a figurehead, and since Naruto was raised in poverty, he was written off as a fool by the more traditional samurai."

Motoyasu wonders, "And he went from a fool to the conqueror of the country."

Nobuyuki agrees, "True, he created a shogunate that lasted 200 years until the Meiji Modernization, when the shogunate had to be dismantled."

Motoyasu asks, "Out of curiosity, when would you say the Uzumaki's fortune truly began to change?"

Nobuyuki shrugs, "In all honesty, while some will say it was when he became a page of the Uchiha, I think it was at the Battle of Ame Plains, when the Uchiha's authority would truly begin to take a dive."


	3. Chapter 3

**It has been two years since the failed assault by the Uchiha at Ame Plains. The crushing defeat has circulated throughout the country, resulting in multiple invasions that have cost the Uchiha over half of their provinces. Yet the ones that insured the best of their defense were the Uzumakis.**

**Now we find ourselves on the other side of the country, where the islands of Asura and Indra are about to experience a massive naval battle.**

**Castle Ashen Ape, Sarutobi Clan Capital**

The fog of the dawn is clearing up for the rising sun.

On a porch sits an older man with dark spots on his temples, with a pointed beard on the tip of his chin, wrinkles lining his face. He's taking puffs from his pipe as he's reading a book.

The screen door behind him opens, and there's a man with a chin strap beard with spiky dark hair, tanned skin with a slightly broad nose, with a cigarette hanging in his mouth.

The older man asks the man, "Asuma, my son, how are the preparations going?"

The man takes the cigarette out of his mouth, "Very good, dad. In a few hours we'll be ready for Mifune's attack."

The ancient lord discards the contents of his pipe, and groans, "Mifune. To think I'll be fighting an old friend now. This is a cruel time."

Asuma assures him, "If possible, we should be able to sue for peace with him when the battle is done."

The father stands up, just up to his son's chin, "Very well, let us round up the men. We go to battle."

They leave the room, and meet with several attendants. They assist in dressing the two men in samurai armor over their robes. The elder asks, "What's the status of Mifune's forces?"

Asuma tells him, "Mifune is taking a fleet of 20,000 samurai, while we only have 10,000. But they have a fleet of eight naval ships, while we have a fleet of thirteen naval ships. What do we do?"

The Sarutobi elder smiles as one of the attendants places a helmet on him, "We set a trap. Have Jiraiya write letters of betrayal."

Asuma looks at him, "Are you sure that will work, he has displayed loyalty to the family for decades."

The patriarch reminds him, "He spent his early childhood exiled by his father to be our hostage, he can convince people he wants to betray us."

Asuma smirks, "Yeah, it could work, let's just hope Mifune will fall for it. And that Jiraiya won't betray us."

**Castle Steel Toad, Home of Sarutobi Loyalists**

A middle aged man with a mane of white hair, a mole on the side of his nose, dressed in grey is enjoying a cup of tea as he's reading a letter. He chuckles, "Sensei must have some serious trust in me."

He also thinks aloud, "Plus, Mifune will not be expecting an attack, the island is considered holy. No blood is to be spilled."

He goes and dons a red haori robe, and meets with his lieutenants. He addresses them, "Men, Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi has given to us an important assignment. We are to align with Mifune and his forces under the pretense of an alliance. When Sarutobi attacks the island, we are to flank Mifune. We now have a choice, tell Mifune and join his ranks, or keep it secret and stay loyal to Sarutobi. I plan on staying with the Sarutobi, if anyone disagrees, stop me."

None respond, until one stands up, and he swears, "No matter what, I stand with you, Lord Jiraiya."

One by one, the rest stand, and join Jiraiya. Jiraiya smiles, "Very well, let's send a letter of 'peace' to Mifune."

SENGOKU

Out in the foggy sea, ships are approaching an island. At the center of the fleet, is a man standing at the mast. He has silver samurai armor, with a moustache that goes past his chin, and everything from the eyebrows up wrapped in a bandage. His features are slightly wrinkled, but his eyes still hold determination. He lets out a mirthless chuckle, "So, Jiraiya is just going to hand this island to me? Can't say that I blame him. The island is sacred."

He marches through the ship, telling his men, "Troops, I want no fighting on this island, understood? But that does not mean I want no weapons on the island."

There is a resounding, "Yes sir."

SENGOKU

The boats dock into the port, and are quickly anchored into place. At the front of the port is Jiraiya with a retinue of bodyguards. As Mifune approaches, they get to their knees and bow. Jiraiya states, "The island is yours, Lord Mifune."

Mifune takes his hands and raises him up, "Stand tall, Lord Jiraiya, you are now among the highest of honors. So please, stand as equals with us."

The men march off to the castle.

SENGOKU

The navy of the Sarutobi is passing through a foggy sea. Sitting in a small resting room is Sarutobi, now in black armor. There is a knock at his door, making him call out, "Enter."

Asuma opens the door and closes it. He sits across from his lord, "Father. Dad. Are you sure this is a good idea? We're taking a huge risk. We fail this and the Sarutobi clan is no more."

Hiruzen looks at his worried son, "Are you forgetting your favorite nephew?"

Asuma gulps at that, but Hiruzen assures, "I agree, this is a huge chance. But I want this region to be in peace before I finally die of old age. And plus this fog should be able to help us out."

Asuma exhales, "Dad, don't talk like that. For my sake, at least."

Hiruzen apologizes, "Sorry, but just to keep you from worrying, this old fart's still got a fire in his belly. I'll be fighting as long as it takes to make sure you and Konohamaru never have to worry about fighting again."

Asuma smiles, "Thanks, dad."

Hiruzen stands tall, "Now come, Asuma. It is time for war."

SENGOKU

At the walls of Mifune's newest fort, there are guards patrolling the borders of the island. Along the border, a pair of guards are talking to themselves, "I hear you finally married your sister off. Congrats! You might be able to move up in the world."

The other guard shrugs, "Yeah, but it's not to a major Daimyo so I won't go that far. And if anything, our father will benefit more from it."

The first guard tells him, "Maybe. But think, someday you could be a Daimyo."

An arrow lands in the distance, with a letter wrapped around it. They go to dig it out of the sand. They open it, and after reading it, the second guard orders, "Go find Jiraiya. Time to move out."

The first guard stops him, "Wait. If we tell Mifune instead, we'll get a huge promotion."

"And betray Jiraiya?"

He freezes on that, and shakes his head, "No. Let's not tell Mifune."

The two walk at a brisk pace, passing by several of Mifune's men. They knock on a door, "Lord Jiraiya?"

The door opens, and Jiraiya smiles, "Ah, good morning men."

They pull out the paper, and Jiraiya's smile drops into a scowl. He motions to them, "Come in, come in."

The two enter, and he orders, "Go to all four posts and tell the commanders stationed there. Sensei must enter this island without a single alarm rung. Go!"

The three split off, one guard going west, another going east, and Jiraiya south.

Jiraiya passes by a woman with a wild mane of ebony hair, her clothes a kimono that looks like white bandages. She greets him with crimson eyes, "Ah, Lord Jiraiya, how is your day?"

Jiraiya hands the woman, "A gift, lady Kurenai. Please approach the north."

She bows curtly and begins to walk past Jiraiya.

She opens it briefly, and folds it up into her clothes, walking on ahead at a quick pace.

Jiraiya eventually reaches the post he was to find a dozen of his men. He shows them the paper, and they proceed to move out.

Several of Mifune's guards are at the wall of the castle, out on patrol.

They walk by Kurenai, with one of them whistling to her, "Hey pretty lady, wanna have some sake with us tonight?"

Kurenai smiles a devious smile, and motions the men to follow her. She leads them to a quartered off room, where she pours them some tea. As the men sit around the teapot and she pours them all a cup, she walks behind them one by one, poking a needle into the back of their necks. The men only feel a slight tingle, then suddenly they fall down in a stupor.

Kurenai left them in the room and stopped an attendant walking by, "Excuse me, dear. But These men have had too much to drink, do you mind moving them to another room?"

The attendant nods and moves about in the room. Kurenai continues moving ahead.

She passes by some more men, men loyal to Jiraiya. She whispers into one of their ears, "Sarutobi is arriving, prepare for battle."

The man nods his head and he begins whispering among his comrades. They turn a corner and Kurenai eventually arrives at where she's supposed to go.

Here she finds a kitchen of servants scurrying along. They spot her and she tells them, "Tonight, let Mifune's men dine with the Buddha."

The servants nod. They take out a vial that has one kanji on it: Cleanse.

SENGOKU

Several hours later

A soldier rushes to the lord, "Mifune-Sama, Sarutobi is storming us!"

Mifune drops his cup of tea, and orders, "Gather the men, we must prepare for war."

The soldier bows, "We can't sir, the men have gone missing."

Mifune calls out, "Where are the men!?"

A samurai runs by clutching his stomach, "We all have diarrhea. I. Have diarrhea."

The man runs away, with flatulence behind him, and a trail of brown on the floor.

Mifune draws his Katana and rushes outside, where he's instantly surrounded by a dozen spearmen, led by Jiraiya.

Jiraiya shrugs his shoulders, "Forgive me, Mifune, but despite my early mishaps with Lord Sarutobi, he is still my sensei."

Mifune nods, "Very well. Then I must have some honor in this defeat."

Some of the men step forward when they see him brandish a katana, but Jiraiya stops them, "Remember men, if he chooses Seppuku, that is to be a high honor."

Mifune smiles forwarnly, "Thank you, Jiraiya."

Mifune thrusts the sword into his belly, and one of Jiraiya's men quickly decapitates him, as per the tradition.

-MEANWHILE-

**Castle Typhoon of Fury, Formerly called Cat's Jewel, Uzumaki Clan Capital**

Kushina is making tea anxiously. She is to meet with a delegate from another clan about a possible alliance to aid the Uchiha.

A caravan of riders arrives with a lavish cart. Out of it steps a girl close to Naruto's age, with indigo hair and pearly lavender eyes. She bows her head, "Greetings, Lady Kushina Uzumaki, I am Hinata Hyuuga, daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga."

Kushina purrs, "Lady Hyuuga, if I had to say, you've inherited your late mother's beauty."

Hinata looks down, somewhat depressed by the thought. Kushina offers her a cup of tea, "Forgive me for speaking of something so delicate, Lady Hyuuga. If I caused you offense, I am sorry."

Hinata smiles, somewhat stiffly, "No apologies necessary, Lady Kushina."

Kushina clears her throat, "Am I to understand that your father made clear what this alliance will entail?"

Hinata's face becomes withered, "I am to marry your son and bear your grandchildren."

Kushina groans, "Hiashi, you fool."

Kushina puts a hand on Hinata's shoulder, and she jolts at the motion. Kushina assures, "You will marry my son, and I do hope to have some beautiful grandbabies, but that is not what I want you to think. You are here to love my son. And he will love you. He doesn't know much about romance but he will be a gentleman to you, and won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. And if he tries something so dishonorable, I'll kill him myself."

Hinata gasps at this, "Lady Kushina, what your suggesting-"

"Is punishable by death, I know. That's how committed I am to you."

Hinata sweats, "But why? I'm...I'm…"

Kushina hugs her, "Don't worry, whatever your father ever told you does not matter anymore. All that should matter to you is what you tell yourself."

Kushina stands up, offering her hand, "Now come, I believe it's time you met your new husband."

Hinata takes it, and follows her to a room, where a boy her age is playing a shamisen guitar, badly she must admit, but he's going over a scroll, clearly teaching himself. Kushina cringes, "Naruto, why don't you hire a tutor? We have the money now."

Naruto shrugs, "This is something I gotta do myself, once I know the basics, then I'll hire a tutor."

Kushina groans, "Father, mother, I'm sorry your grandson is such a weirdo."

Naruto stands up, "Hey! Don't look down on me!"

He strikes a pose, with his hand in front of his face while his legs make a triangle, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, hero of the Uzumaki clan!"

Kushina taps him on the head with her finger, "Stop with the Chuuni poses. We have a guest."

Naruto straightens up, and bows to the girl, "Sorry, my dear, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, pleased to meet you."

Hinata blushes and stammers, "H-H-Hi-Hinata. Hinata Hyuuga."

Naruto looks around confused, "Hyuuga? I thought we were enemies."

Kushina explains, "We are. Lord Hyuuga sent his eldest daughter to be your bride."

At this Naruto straightens up, "Bride!? Mom, I dunno how to be a husband? How can I make her like me!?"

Kushina tells him, "I taught you how to be a good man."

Naruto panics, "But who taught me to be a husband!?"

Kushina goes white eyed with veins cropping up on her temples, "You mad I'm single!?"

Naruto grabs Hinata's hand, "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

He's dragging the poor girl as his mother comes at him like a typhoon. Everything that is near her flies up in the air as Naruto trips over everything in front of him.

They run past Karin, and Naruto screams, "GET OUTTA MY WAY!"

Karin spots them, and clenches her fists, "Did you call her single again!?"

Naruto defends, "Not intentionally!"

Kushina screams, "That was totally intentional!"

"MATTER OF DEBATE!"

Later that night…

Naruto is rubbing his face, "I'm lucky you only gave me a black eye this time."

Kushina assures him, "We can make this up in your martial arts training tomorrow. I'll give you the first strike."

"That is not normal, mom!"

Kushina defends, "At least I'm not trying to poison you!"

Naruto bobs his head, "Yeah, that's true."

Hinata goes to Naruto and checks his head, making the two blush lightly. Hinata explains, "Given the coloration, the bruising should go down in a few days."

Naruto cocks his head, "You know that how?"

Hinata explains, "My mother, she taught me how to treat wounds. I wasn't good at women's work, so she told me to think of how to help my future husband. You."

Naruto offers, "Wanna stay for dinner?"

And thus, a romance was born.

Author's Note: So I'm an idiot, I accidentally uploaded the last chapter with a typo that I forgot to delete. I originally thought of including a moment where the Hyuuga would be celebrating the victory while the Uchiha lamented their losses. But for some reason, I uploaded impatiently. I think I need a beta reader now.

This chapter is based on Miyajima, between Motonari Mori and Harukata Sue. Now I did bump up the Sarutobi numbers just for a good two on one ratio. That might not be a popular idea, but like I said, or I hope I made clear, this is a trial and error story.

I tried to come up with a flipside story for this, based on China's Three Kingdom War, but my first attempt to make characters be foils to famous people drove me crazy. Like I want Naruto to be Liu Bei, but who to be Cao Cao and Sima Yi drove me crazy. And that's just three examples.

By the way, did I do Buddhism wrong? If I did, tell me.

Also, I wrote cart instead of carriage because I couldn't find proof that they existed in Sengoku Era Japan. Or at least the european version.

And the mom poisoning son is based on Date Masamune, whose mother actually tried to poison him.


End file.
